Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-09-23
REPUBLICAN, SENTIMENT.
LETTER OF COL. II. c. PARSONS TO
THE VALLEY YIRGINIAN.

LETTER OF COL. II. c. PARSONS TIC
THE VALLEY yIRGINIAN.
EditoS VTJiRidn.-I have youI
request that | write on thepollt'cal
situation, aud particularly on the
position taken by the " "V0DiR'dn.'
have been so occupied that I
have not even seen the Z" "Virginidn'
for several weeks; and so muclI
away that | have not been able t(
mark the course of political events
or the condition of affairs. | have
now an idle hour, however, and II
you think my opinions of any value
at this moment, | will give them
freely, and perhaps with less Of
fense, because | must state princi'
pies and policies broadly, and with.
our personal application.
| do not believe in personal gov
ernmcnt or personal politics, and 1t
seems to me if there ever was a
time in Virginia when men should
be unmentiOned AMI prWcpics
should he declared, it is in this un-
eventful year. But l cannot un-
derstand a "political issue" in
which there is no issue. and y0u
NAV allow me to ask some ones
tons which may indicate the line
of my suggestion. What is the
issue in Virginia to day! Are State
officers to be elected Are the
Judges to 6e changed Is there IL
national question involved Z ls
there anything save the question
which OF the two sets OF men VIII
make the best members Of Legls-
lature, and which of two men shall
be United States Senator
If this is all that is involved, is
it worth the debate The question
of personal politics and uniitness
of candidates, is not Of itself i'm
portant enough to hold the atten-
ton Of 100000 men, for we have
found men in public station,
whether landed or lampooned, very
much alike. There is no country
in the world where public officials,
whether Democrats or Republicans,
average so well as in ihe United
States.
During twenty years IN the Ma
tion, and in forty States only three
governmental officers have suffered
impeachment. Fortunately our in
stitutions do not depend upon our
agents. Governments "Of the
People, for the People," have not
persisted from of the earth, but
whenever in America a politlcal
party has fulfilled its mission the
time has come for it TO die, ant ii
does die.
What mission for - Republican
party is there IT, Virginia : Has it
to settle the State debt Does 1t
propose to settle this by any diff
ferent method than the Democratic
party or only by "new agents q
The time has come to recognize the
fact that our people are tired ct
this discussion. For nineteen
years interest has been accumulat.
ing at the rate of three thousand
dollars a day, and our present CON
dltion is such that nothing but our
experience keeps us from blood
shed.
Renewal, Reimbursement and Re-
sistance have given us three "lts,"
but they have not given us any ray
of light, and the salt Of the long
debate has lost its eneryesccnce,
and its SAVIOR. The very first sug-
gestion OF relief comes from a
Democratic convention.
Is there any grave subject tor
discussion There is much that is
wrong in Virginia. The school
system is defective. Our system
of taxation is bad. Our election
laws are unwise. OF another sub.
iect / think may fairly write. The
people somehow feel that they have
been thrown out of harmony with
the free fair spirit of the 10Th cen
turv, and into the eddies of the
prosperous tide that sweeps this
continent. They have not been
invited to that high debate which
lifts the tone of other States.
Free schools now for 20 years
have done their work, and yet the
young men and the new voters
have not been invited to joint dis.
cussion on the assumption of new
duties, where each voter must an
swer unto himself. In fact in Vir-
ginia alone of all free States in the
world Joint discussion has been
officially denounced. Our election
laws are copied from the code
Napoleon, and, however fairly they
may be proceeded under, they be-
come a threat that COWS the peO.
pie, and degrades authority.
And yet / have not learned that
our State committee has called a
convention to declare policy or
formulate a principle.
1t has issued a letter prepared
with palnstaking and ability, and
containing valuable suggestions;
bat in America, the letter Of a
committee has as little force as a
Papal Bull. The fashion OF the
l. u g